After the success of its winter and summer passenger vehicle tyres in the European market, Apollo Tyres launched an ultra high performance summer tyre -- Aspire 4G, at the Geneva Motor Show. This next generation tyre from Apollo Tyres will be available in W and Y speed ratings suitable for speeds up to 300 kilometers per hour. The Aspire 4G will cater to around 50% of the cars in the highly fragmented summer W and Y speed rated European market, with fitment in cars like the BMW 5-series, Mercedes E-class, Audi A6 and Volkswagen Passat.
Speaking at the formal launch of Apollo Aspire 4G, Neeraj Kanwar, Managing Director, Apollo Tyres Ltd noted, “This tyre is a product of cross geography collaboration between our research and manufacturing teams in The Netherlands and India. Post the launch in Europe, we will make the Aspire 4G available in each of the non-European markets we currently manufacture and export to.”
Apollo Aspire 4G has a minimalistic, asymmetric design to cater to superior handling in wet and dry conditions; shorter braking distance and low noise. The wide outer shoulder with narrow intermediate groves lead to better contact for dry handling. Three wide circumferential grooves reduce aquaplaning and heighten grip in wet conditions. The centre rib which is optimised for stiffness, lends higher steering precision. The Aspire 4G easily and precisely responds to any unexpected steering corrections, providing maximum driving safety, especially through the optimised contour and a wider contact surface. The unique mix of raw materials ensures maximum traction and shorter braking distances on wet and dry surfaces. The Aspire 4G meets the highest European requirements for external rolling noise and wet grip.
Rob Oudshoorn, CEO, Apollo Vredestein B V commented, “We are beginning production with 9 sizes which cater to the majority of cars in the W and Y rated category in Europe. Both the Apollo summer and winter range have found high acceptance in Europe in the past year in Germany, UK, Netherlands, Italy and Greece. Given this we are now expanding our base into Switzerland, Austria and Denmark. The Aspire 4G has been extensively tested at IDIADA, Spain and ATP Papenburg, Germany, with some excellent results.”
At the Geneva Motor Show, Apollo Aspire 4G is fitted on the futuristic Evonik Light Weight Design (LWD) car, on display at the Green Pavilion. Apollo Tyres and Evonik, in association with sports car manufacturer Lotus Engineering, have developed this eco-friendly car. Christened Evonik LWD Lotus, this car, riding on Apollo tyres, offers low rolling resistance and fuel savings of up to 8pc.